"The UN Security Council's Resolution 2231 has not banned [the] sale of these military equipment to Iran," said the head of Russia's Foreign Ministry's Administration for Security and Disarmament Mikhail Ulyanov according to Russia's Interfax news agency.
"We are of the opinion that the possible sale of Sukhoi-30 fighter jets and T-90 tanks Russia to Iran have not been prohibited in Resolution 2231 and this resolution has permitted Iran to purchase such military hardware," he went on to add.
His comments seem to have been an indirect response to statements made by the United States State Departments' Undersecretary for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon who claimed on Tuesday that the US will exercise its veto power at the UN Security Council to prevent Russia from selling such arms to Iran.
He claimed that such a sale would violate Resolution 2231 if all members of the Security Council did not agree to vote. Washington, he said, "would block the approval of any sale of fighter aircraft under the restrictions," since such sales "require the submission of relevant notification to the Security Council and this notification's endorsement by the Security Council."
The Su-30 is one of the most advanced multi-role air superiority fighter jets in the Russian arsenal. The T-90 is also one of Russia's most advanced main battle tanks.
from Rudaw http://ift.tt/1WcJSZG
via Defense News
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